He's Italian and fiercely proud of it, and diners at Brisbane's Bacchus Restaurant are loving Bacchus Chef de Cuisine Manuele Erriu's 'Queenslanding' of his wonderful memory dishes from growing up. He is the passion behind the restaurant's
Early WINTER Menu, dishes that will warm hearts and palates
INTRODUCING THE WINTER'S EIGHT – the eight dishes from Bacchus Restaurant's Early Winter Menu that need to be enjoyed now, preferably with a wonderful red and a warm heart, according to the menu maestro Chef Manuele Erriu.
Leading the Winter flavour-fest is Minestrone with Shiitake Broth. It's a soup with an ancient history that Chef Manu says is close to his heart. "Because of its origins and the absence of a fixed recipe, minestrone varies widely across Italy depending on traditional cooking times, ingredients, and season. This is why I love making it here in Queensland, it means I can use local flavours and share with diners one of my all-time favourite dishes. It's perfect for Winter," he said.
A standout from last year's Winter menu, the Wagyu Tongue returns, and this time Chef Manu has created a dish that resembles the colours of autumn in the forest! "All vegetables are marinated in different types of vinegar, and the colours are almost the same as Autumn leaves, plus we have added a parsley foam as moss, with the Tongue representing the bark of the trees! I hope diners love it as much as we do!"
The Champagne Lobster with Jerusalem artichoke and Beurre Blanc is another seasonal star this Winter. "We make this thick, rich, creamy sauce from butter, white wine, shallots, and white wine vinegar and it has a slightly sweet, tangy flavour that goes especially well with poached Australian fish and shellfish, which are of course, the best in the world!"
Risotto with saffron, bone marrow and jus – this could be THE dish of Winter! Chef Manu said this dish also has a long history across Europe. "This is one of my favourites, and I've had so much joy recreating it here at Bacchus with Queensland's great flavours. The bone marrow adds the essence of Winter to this dish."
The Kingfish dish sees Chef Manu add rapini, capsicum, parsley, olives and potatoes for a modern reflection of another famed Italian Winter dish. "We take these beautiful ingredients and re-purpose them in a modern way - the peppers become pure', the parsley gels, we dry the olives to make a crumb and give salinity to the fish, and the potatoes are transformed into a sauce. It's a fantastic dish!"
Rounding out the Winter's Eight at Bacchus is the Braised Wagyu Cappelletti, the Cobia with celery, dashi, cucumber and hongarebushi and from the grill, the classic Eye Fillet with burnt leek, rapini, hazelnut and red wine jus – three more dishes from and for the heart!
Of course there's a full a la carte and a degustation menu, with vegetarian and vegan options as well.
Bacchus has paired the Winter menus with an award-winning wine list featuring 700 offerings and over 50 wines 'by the glass'. The list celebrates the great grape growing regions of Queensland, Australia, and the world and the Bacchus cheese trolley remains one of the best in the country.
Back to Manuele. He has a deep love of food and local produce. He started working in the kitchen of a local Italian restaurant when he was 15 during the summer and on weekends. It's where he fell in love with food. He said he still remembers his first oyster as a joyous moment. He's since worked in London and back in Italy, and then came to Australia.
He joined Bacchus under the mentorship of Massimo Speroni, and followed him to Newcastle to open JANA Restaurant at the QT HOTEL (sister to Bacchus), before returning to his beloved Brisbane, and now, takes the culinary lead.
Bacchus is at home in Rydges South Bank, the premier lifestyle and cultural hotel in Brisbane and one truly embedded in the cultural, dining, sporting and corporate life of the city.
BACCHUS RESTAURANT
9 Glenelg Street, South Brisbane - at Level 1 Rydges South Bank
BOOKINGS: Reservations — Bacchus Restaurant (bacchussouthbank.com.au) or call 07 3364 0837
